The flatnose Porsche 911 was born when the wild 935 debuted, its pop up headlights providing an aero advantage. Like many things from Porsche, that eventually transferred to the road, with flachbau variants available during the 1980s and '90s, ending during the 993 generation. One customer requested the same treatment for his 928, and the Porsche Exclusive division made it happen. Now, that unique machine's original owner is auctioning it with RM Sotheby's in Paris on January 31.
The revised nose gives the car an uncanny appearance. The front end initially makes the vehicle look like the four-cylinder powered 944, but everything else is straight from the 928. It's like Porsche ran out of 928 headlights for a few hours and just fit a 944 nose in a pinch.
Gallery: Porsche 928 Flatnose Auction
Beyond the altered headlights, the buyer also specified wider body skirts and broader rear wheel wells with a more rounded shape than the standard car's boxier appearance. This 928 also received deep-dish wheel spacers and more aerodynamic side mirrors.
The 1989 928 GT was the first model year of this variant and offered buyers something sportier than the S4 model. They featured a 5.0-liter, 32-valve V8 making 326 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. The manual transmission had shorter shift ratios and a limited-slip differential.
The flatnose 928's single owner has kept meticulous records of the car, including all of the original purchase information. Porsche dealers or brand specialists have serviced the vehicle for its entire life.
RM Sotheby's expects the car to sell for the equivalent of $195,000 to $305,000 (180,000 to 280,000 euros). For context, the most expensive 928 ever sold on Bring A Trailer went for $163,928, and it has recorded several examples going for over $100,000. For a unique example, the extra money for this car doesn't seem like too much of a premium.
